Things you do BEFORE leaving on a cruise

[MFScruise]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm quite a junior cruiser but I'm writing a post on my blog for things to do before going on a cruise. Some things are quite obvious but I'd love to know what YOU do before going on a cruise. Not talking about the obvious now, thinking of things that most newbie cruisers might now think about.

 

I've got:

 

- Make show reservations (on certain ships)

- Make dinner reservations

- Research restaurant menus

- Research ports

- Book excursions

 

What else??

 

TIA!

L

[beachbum53]

In no specific order:

> Stop by the post office and make arrangements to have our mail put on hold until we return.

> Call the kennel we use and make reservations for our dogs to stay there while we're gone.

> Make arrangements with our adult daughter to house sit for us.

> Print off all travel related documents, such as airline boarding passes, hotel reservation, email confirmations of booked shore excursions, and cruise documents.

[hi2you]

One thing I like to do: I write the addresses of friends and family I want to send postcards to onto labels, then I don't waste time writing out their address onto the postcard...just peel and stick and write a short message.

 

 

Other: photocopy of Passport....use a a card with a magnetic strip other then a credit card to open and close cabin room safe. I have used, library card, store points cards, etc....

 

Do NOT post and announce on social media that you are away from your home.

Check out the layout of the ship you will be cruising on. Packing list...ask yourself - will it be worn at least twice on the trip; as much as we would like to take our entire closet with us....that isn't a reality.

[SewMuch]

Call credit card companies and tell them where you are going so they don't freeze your card because they think it was stolen

[champagne123]

Write your name, phone number and address down and put it on the INSIDE of each piece of luggage in case they should be lost or misplaced.

[griffy116]

I have a petsitter who will be staying in my home. The last week will be exhausting, with cleaning the house, printing instructions, giving her any numbers she might need in our absence, cooking chicken for the dogs and shredding it and cooking a few things for the petsitter. Getting packed and making sure all the documents are in order. Getting cash from the bank. Confirming reservations for the hotel, transportation from off-site airport parking, and all the other transportation. The morning we leave will be a madhouse. We will want to have time to sit calmly with the dogs. By the time I get on the plane, I am asleep before we leave the ground and I get a couple of hours of sleep and when I wake I'm ready for my vacation.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Turn off water at home.

[smm0218]

Turn off water at home.

 

DH and were just wondering if we should do that last night. And since it will be storm season around here while we are gone, unpluging electronics also.

[Joebucks]

Get some general ideas of what to do at a cruise port. Not to create a minute-by-minute itinerary that takes out the relaxation, but to have plans and backup plans.

[taglovestocruise]

DH and were just wondering if we should do that last night. And since it will be storm season around here while we are gone, unpluging electronics also.

If you turn off your water put you water heater in vacation mode.

[smm0218]

If you turn off your water put you water heater in vacation mode.

 

Thanks, never heard of that, I'll have to go see if I can figure out how.

[jocap]

Check that the passports don't need replacing yet...

Buy foreign currency.

Look in the cruising drawer for the miniature sewing kit.

Ask the surgery for an extra month's pills.

And, if we're going to northern Europe, look at the live webcams to see if people are still wearing their big coats! :D

[iancal]

Turn off the water.

 

Check that we have passports, ipads, and credit cards before getting into the cab for the airport.

[Z'Loth]

• Do you know where your passport is?
  
• Set up appropriate alert with your financial institution for your credit cards
  
• Verify hotel and flight information
  
• No, really do you know where your passport is and is it valid for at least six months?
  
• Make sure work email is cleared out, and that there is adequate coverage while you are gone from work. Put in the correct out-of-office message on your email and phone (as if anyone pays attention to it)
  
• Make sure you bring home the USB charger, extra cables, and that USB battery.
  
• Seriously, do you know where your passport is and is it packed in your carry-on luggage?
  
• Print out a hard copy of the check-in documentation as well as store a PDF copy into a online storage such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive
  
• Scan a copy of the front page of your passport
  
• Make sure you have a set of earbuds handy
  
• Honey, where are our passports? We got 'em. Good, I can relax.
  

[MFScruise]

• Do you know where your passport is?
  
• Set up appropriate alert with your financial institution for your credit cards
  
• Verify hotel and flight information
  
• No' date=' really do you know where your passport is and is it valid for at least six months?
  
• Make sure work email is cleared out, and that there is adequate coverage while you are gone from work. Put in the correct out-of-office message on your email and phone (as if anyone pays attention to it)
  
• Make sure you bring home the USB charger, extra cables, and that USB battery.
  
• Seriously, do you know where your passport is and is it packed in your carry-on luggage?
  
• Print out a hard copy of the check-in documentation as well as store a PDF copy into a online storage such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive
  
• Scan a copy of the front page of your passport
  
• Make sure you have a set of earbuds handy
  
• Honey, where are our passports? We got 'em. Good, I can relax.
  

 

LOL. You're funny. Should I assume that you've lost your passport once before?

[MFScruise]

Anything cruise specific?

[Z'Loth]

LOL. You're funny. Should I assume that you've lost your passport once before?

 

Nope, but you haven't dealt with my mother either. I've also did a speech recently on passports in my Toastmasters club, and will do so again on "Travel Horror Stories".

[luvscruising2007]

Try on the clothes you plan to take and make sure they fit and don't need mending.

Make reservations for any hotel stays and get a printed copy.

Print copies or store on your phone or computer all reservations. It never hurts to have a copy.

Make a list of the things you need to pack that you really need. ie, all toiletries, clothing items, reading material. You don't want to buy these things on the ship. They will be expensive.

I have started stripping the bed and washing sheets. I can usually get them in the dryer before I leave the house, and my daughter can fold them. I put clean sheets on bed before I go.

 

Have a wonderful cruise, relax and enjoy.

[teknoge3k]

Months in advance:

- Book flights with Southwest

- Book Airbnb/VRBO/hotel for home port city

- Book activities pre/post cruise. We typically stay a week pre and a week post.

- Figure out which vendor we're going to use for things to do in ports we visit.

 

Day/s in advance:

- Check batteries in security cameras

- Unplug everything

- Empty out fridge

- Make grocery list so I can submit it while on vacation and get groceries when we get back. We gotta eat!

- Go to USPS website and hold out mail. We don't use USPS but it stops our mailbox from getting clogged with junk.

- Get cash. We don't use cash so I always have to go to the bank and get some.

- Turn the A/C off at home. When we get on the plane to come home, I will turn it back on from my phone so it'll be cool.

- Adjust timers on outlets, plug in a radio and turn it up loud so it can be heard from the outside. It turns on at Xam and off at Xpm. Lights do the same.

- Pay any upcoming bills

- Set out of office on my email.

- Schedule someone to mow the lawn while we're gone.

- Wash vehicles so they can have fresh pollen on them when we return.

- Login to credit cards and mark ourselves as traveling.

- Brag to everyone on Facebook that I'm leaving for an exotic vacation. Sue me.

[lenquixote66]

Hi everyone!

 

I'm quite a junior cruiser but I'm writing a post on my blog for things to do before going on a cruise. Some things are quite obvious but I'd love to know what YOU do before going on a cruise. Not talking about the obvious now, thinking of things that most newbie cruisers might now think about.

 

I've got:

 

- Make show reservations (on certain ships)

- Make dinner reservations

- Research restaurant menus

- Research ports

- Book excursions

 

What else??

 

TIA!

L

 

I make a list of everything I would like to do on each day of the cruise.

[geniesue]

:evilsmile:

Write your name, phone number and address down and put it on the INSIDE of each piece of luggage in case they should be lost or misplaced.

 

If heading to cruise include cruise line, ship name, departure date and port.

[capriccio]

Write your name, phone number and address down and put it on the INSIDE of each piece of luggage in case they should be lost or misplaced.

 

We just put our name, phone number and email address (no home address) along with the trip itinerary in each of our suitcases. It may seem paranoid but I don't want my home address to be easily connected to a empty house and I figure phone and email is enough info to reach us.

[champagne123]

We just put our name, phone number and email address (no home address) along with the trip itinerary in each of our suitcases. It may seem paranoid but I don't want my home address to be easily connected to a empty house and I figure phone and email is enough info to reach us.

Hmmmm....very wise and good idea!

[grimsgirl13]

• Do you know where your passport is?
  
• Set up appropriate alert with your financial institution for your credit cards
  
• Verify hotel and flight information
  
• No' date=' really do you know where your passport is and is it valid for at least six months?
  
• Make sure work email is cleared out, and that there is adequate coverage while you are gone from work. Put in the correct out-of-office message on your email and phone (as if anyone pays attention to it)
  
• Make sure you bring home the USB charger, extra cables, and that USB battery.
  
• Seriously, do you know where your passport is and is it packed in your carry-on luggage?
  
• Print out a hard copy of the check-in documentation as well as store a PDF copy into a online storage such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive
  
• Scan a copy of the front page of your passport
  
• Make sure you have a set of earbuds handy
  
• Honey, where are our passports? We got 'em. Good, I can relax.
  

 

Hahahahaha!!!! I only laugh because about a couple months before we leave I always have dreams that we get to the port and I realize we don't have our passports! I wake up in a panic. ;p:'):')

[Bizmark'sMom]

• Do you know where your passport is?
  
• Set up appropriate alert with your financial institution for your credit cards
  
• Verify hotel and flight information
  
• No' date=' really do you know where your passport is and is it valid for at least six months?
  
• Make sure work email is cleared out, and that there is adequate coverage while you are gone from work. Put in the correct out-of-office message on your email and phone (as if anyone pays attention to it)
  
• Make sure you bring home the USB charger, extra cables, and that USB battery.
  
• Seriously, do you know where your passport is and is it packed in your carry-on luggage?
  
• Print out a hard copy of the check-in documentation as well as store a PDF copy into a online storage such as Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive
  
• Scan a copy of the front page of your passport
  
• Make sure you have a set of earbuds handy
  
• Honey, where are our passports? We got 'em. Good, I can relax.
  

My ex husband turned up at the airport without his ID once. I have been OCD about my passport and driver's license ever since. Yes, they let us on the plane eventually, but it was a nightmare.